Recording system



March 16, 1954 B. F. LEWIS RECORDING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept.18, 1952 March 16, 1954 B. F. LEWIS RECORDING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheep 2Filed Sept. 18. 1952 D aafT 6a /T T 64 Az163 TIME I 2 a 4 5 6 7 8 9 O iPatented Mar. 16, 1954 RECORDING SYSTEM Benjamin F. Lewis, Bayside, N.Y., assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application September 18, 1952, Serial No.310,287

8 Claims.

This invention relates to magnetic recorders and more particularly tomagnetic recorders for marking or identifying tapes in automaticprocessing systems.

Heretofore in the prior art as exemplified by Patent 2,561,476 to W. Y.Lang which issued on July 24, 1951, magnetic means were utilized toidentify tickets or tapes for the automatic sorting thereof. Themagnetic means, however, as utilized in the prior art providedsubstantially weak indications over limited areas of the ticket or tapeand, moreover, necessitated critical staggered positions of therecording areas, being thus prone to false indications. The presentinvention overcomes these difficulties existing in the prior art byproviding for a recording system having three electromagnetic recordingheads which operate in conjunction with a printing wheel. The recordingheads have wide pole faces and thus effect an indication or recordingupon the tape which covers a relatively large area. The three recordingheads are energized in accordance with the vtvvo-out-of-three polarizedcode under control of a two-Wheel commutator. The commutator is revolvedtogether with the printing wheel to control the coding of positive andnegative pulses to the recording heads. The tickets or tapes arethereafter sorted after passing under three reproducing heads which,together with their associated circuitry, determine the occurrence ofsignals and their polarities;

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide for a novelsorting system which provides a magnetic indication upon the tapesimultaneously with the printing of the corresponding numeral thereon.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novelmagnetic recording device which provides strong indications oversubstantially Wide areas of the tape.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of anovel recording device which provides a typed indication and magneticcode indication corresponding thereto, arranged laterally across thetape.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of anovel magnetic recorder which provides a-strong definite indication,reducing the-possibility for false indications.

Still another object of the present invention is the' provision of anovel automatic method -of sorting tapes which provides a visualindication of the numeral and a simple magnetic coded indicationcorresponding thereto. e

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of anovel tWo-out-of-three polar cod'e fer lthe ten numerals of the decimalsystem Further objects'aridadvantages'of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the gures wherein: y

Fig. 1 is a front'view of the recording device of the present inventionwith the printing bar lowered;

Fig. 2 is a sectionalized View of the recorder of the present inventionalong line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4. is a sectionalview of the ccmmutator of the present inventionalong line lI--II in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a circuit representation of the present invention with thecommutator and recording heads diagrammatically represented;

Fig. 6 is a development view of the surface of the commutator of thepresent invention;

Fig. 7 is a graph of the instantaneous positive or negative currentthrough one of the recording heads of the present invention; and

Fig. 8 is a portion of a'magnetic tape illustrating the two-out-of-threepolar code of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, shaft II is rotated by a servomechanism apparatus(not shown), as is well known in the art, through a definite rotation inaccordance with intelligence entered to the servomechanism apparatus.The shaft II, supported in bearings I1 and I8 upon frame 36, supports aprinting Wheel I0 and the positive and negative Wheels I4 and I5 of acommutator I6 hereinafter described in detail in reference to Figs. 4, 5and 6. The rotation, therefor, of shaft II to a denite angular positionprovides for a corresponding positioning of printing wheel I0 andcommutator I6. The printing wheel I has the ten numerals V0 through 9about its periphery and adjacent the tape or ticket I9. The tape e I9 isa magnetic tape, as is Well known in the art, Which when subjected tocontrolling magnetic elds and removed therefrom, retains suitable orsufficient remanent fluxes therein which are effective in-creatingcurrent impulses when presented to suitable detecting or sensingdevices. .'Ihe tape I9 passes across the rollers 29 and 2i shown infFig.2 beneath and adjacent to the printing wheel Ill. The rollers 20 and 2lare ,supported on a bracket 3l which is, in turn, supported by screws 38and 39 upon frame 36.

The tape I9 is pressed or forced against a numeral on the positionedprinting wheel IIJ by a press or printing bar 22 which is part of acamactuated member 23. An arm 26 of member 23 is restrained against cam24 by a restoring spring 25. As cam 24 rotates on shaft 21 the member 23is ycaused to oscillate about pivot pin 28 bringing the tape I9repeatedly against the printing wheel III, and thus having impressedthereupon one of the numerals. The shaft 21 isv supported in bearings 29and 30 and is driven or rotated by the servomechanism apparatus referredto above but not shown herein. The sequence of events is suchwas tofirsiirpostion :thafprinting Wheel I0 and'fthdtapeil `and thereafterrotate the member 23 in a counter-clockwise direction 5 as seen in Fig.l to cause the impression of :a the printing wheel numeral upon tape I9and also to provide a magnetic indication corresponding thereto, as ishereinafter describedm-y The magnetic indication is proydedvupon-Lther1I) tape I9 by three recording heads 31,:32 and. 33 .at which aresupported by screws, 4I and, 42, re. spectively, on frame 36adiac'ent"the"`tape"19."` Combinations of positive and negativepulses'aren supplied to the recording h eads 3I, 32 and 33 in 15accordance. .with a. tWo-outvof-threepolar code, hereinafter`described,..under.. .control .of the come... mutator I6 and a pair oftransfer`contacts..3.4 and?, 5. alsor hereinafter described. Y

The. commutatore. I.6 -haswas .describedabcva 29 a positive Wheel I4 anda negative wheel I5 shown.. more;specically..in the developedplan .View`of Fig. :6. Inleferririgiw Eig'. 5;. Which-.is a. cross. sectionalwiewmthroughfsthe wheel`..l6,.the comer mutator wheels I4 and I5 areshort brass cy1in-.. 25 ders.43 covered -W-ithfa, layerp insulating.ma-.s terial or sheets and insulatedtfromrshattli by bearingAGm :Thelxavheelswlril and..-.l5 veachfcome. prisesra.- plurality of.contact.points.f.or r-pins 45 which are of conductivermaterial`and-.screwed or. 3.0 forcedmthroughgthe.. insulatingsshell.l .44,i`ntothe brass cylinder-.A 3 Theiouteriendsof the..pins,.1 45 arefluslrorlevel rwith the surfaceof. the insulating.-.shelL.M..Commutator -IB isin contact. with eight brushes M through-,5.6, wWitinthe. pe. riphermorinsulatingshell-M. and1 pinslii ofwheel.:V I4 incontact'withLbrushesxlpzd andAB, and...l of wheel I5 in contact withbrushes-159,5! and.. 52 andswithrthe cylinder,-.43 of vvd-heelal!! incon-s tactzwith brush-,53 'QFigsizrandtL andof. Wheel.. fm I5 incontactnwith brush.514.+Reterring.,now=to Fig.- 5, ,thebrushessdandazJIS andEthebrushes-.a 50, 5I and-52 are connectedrespectivelyetothea.;- recording=heads-.3l, 32 and-33a through the; eq.uiva,,.lent-.resistors .5;6 and 51.-I A second-connection.. 45 to eachnof-the..recording:':heads 3l, 32 and l33 is. from. ground'sat (58. c.Parallel .conductivea paths'tstherefore sexist-from g-roundtat 58,through vtwo-1. of the,threezrecordingcheadsay-3-I,32 and=.33, as ishereinafter.described, the twoacorresponding ,5.0 resistorsuofresistors.55,56 'and' 5I.tw0..0f the. brushes 142| throughwtwopfthe=pins45 onefin each ewheels` lI 4 and '45) vthetrbrassv.cylinderse 43in wheeled-4 andtIS, brushese53 ands54 to the 1:? transfencontazctsManci 35; m'. 55

The oodngor selectionon pathsrand.- polarities if.: iS provided-.ina'ecordamcerwithvthefcodezof their: 1312115.55 -shown-in Figws, andfinthe following... c ar Polarity Code The tiecordmgrfneads. Ya2 and :as.necea'ef It combinations of positive and negative pulses according tothe above two-out-of-three code in the abovechart-and.. as ishereinafterdescribed. Tn'.positivea-nd.Y negativerpulsesare brought to the WheelsI4 and I5 through the transfer contactsY 34 and 35. Each of the transfercontacts 34 and 35, supported on angie 'I0 (Fig. l), has anupperzcontact and a lower contact. The upper contact.of transient isconnected through resistortil to ener-u-p'later-.of capacitor 6I and tothe positiver poles 62 of ai plurality of batteries 63. The zero.or.center.connection of the batteries 63 i'sconnected`t ground at 64 andthe negative pole ..65 is' connected to resistor 66 and one plate ofcapacitor 61. The other plate of capacitors 6I andl isconnected,respectivelyfmo thel cena ter ...or .movablelccntactmftransfer,}contacts...34 and .35.; Themovablecontactsof transfer. con-M-tacts 34 and 35 are connected togetherby con-...- tactangeia .andnnoS/e.thereforeain funisom.u

thelulolvablecontacts-are unoperatedwthey:..1- make contact with'.thelluppencontactscausingcsP the capacitorsj fand.. 61 .t vbeshuntedebyfthe/evy resistors .and 466. LTh'elcapacitors 6I and-:61 vinthis .conditinare..discharged.

Thtransferfeontacts -34 and-3.5 are=operatedwwhen the arrn.69 ofmember`- 23, ldescribedabove f (Figlflhmoves the.-l'contact-ng'er..63Adown at the.. sameatime.. thanthelprintingkban 22 moves --rf thelLtape:,l 9 againsttheJpr-inting. wheel .I 0. 5The movement. or operation ofthemovablecontacts e brings-@them in contactawith--theflowercontactsw oftheltransferpontacts 34 and 35e-As I'/l1en'1ov l ablecontacts meettheloWercontaets,-the capaci-f ftorsMI Land -...61 5 charge r.throughthe:.com-..- mutator I6 and-.recordingmheadseiI,132 and 33 depending'-.upon.the/code One possible- 1paths is from Agrounclat 64,-apos,itvepc1e\62,capacitor 6I movable'contact-and lower-contactot trans-.m- -fer4contacts .34, v.brush-53, eommutatorwheel I4, i one,=.two-or .more .ofthei-fbrushesd'lf 43 lOI 49 dependinglnpon the `code,Lthe,correspondingre-A sisto`r-..55,v` 56 lor 55|..and.1thecorresponding..re. cordingaheadi, 32 or 33 to ground .at 58..As secondepossiblel..pathmcanwbe completed .frommegroundat .64, -.tonegativemole `65, capacitor :6.1, movable and low'er contact of transfercontacts-..j.l 35, brush-.54, -cornmutator twheel. ..I 5, .brushes 50,5I or .52, Lthe.'correspondingvresistor55,'556 for .5l andthecorresponding'recordinghead.3I,.32 4:-1 or 33 -to groundat58.441s.describedJ-above,.forwe each numeral, t'Wo of therecording:heads-are.-v energized.-..The. rresistors-55, r56 and5.'Iandi-:therA capacitors 6landl havasuchfvaluesas to pro-M (vide .with.the.eectivesinductance and` resistance s of the heads acritically-daxnped eurrentaposieu. tive .or negative,as Vshown-in Eig,-.'7.. Thecritiyf. cally.dampedcurrentprovides.maximum .-magne-fe tizing...effect-Without undesirable ...oscillations-...H that :mightVpartially-erase the .magnetic indica-a f tion on the tape.

Consider,` vfor examplaftha sequencel Iof events..` thatl occurs :when aspec-inc: .number...1-750649. is .1

entered-.to thefrecerder; oi thepresent :invention-M..

The number andwthertcodededndicationscorre-fspending1thereto:eteusi-iorvnn-lialf;N The :servomeehanismeapparatusLnotsshown) .f

causes.lv thek ,printing lWheeit-.IIJ andv 1: commutator .r f

I6 to rotate. so thatlthav'numeral .1 :is adjacent the tape I9, andsimultaneously-steps.*the tapes I9 one. spacewAs shown `inFigs,5:.-and:6,.brush.=

53 w-i1l-makeecontactthrougn.;two'.pins45 'to 4:.; the.brushes'IL'band-AS; doithrs'moildedrrom in brushe53 :to brusinismammina-brush. to .the brushegz D, 15| and-1 52. .With'f-thev.printingfwlieeim aen-fases I Il and commutator I6 in position, therotation of the cam 24 causes the member 23 to oscillate or rotate in acounter-clockwise manner bringing the tape I9 against the printing WheelI9 and adjacent the recording heads 3|, 32 and 33, and also operatingthe transfer contacts 34 and 35. The numeral 1 is impressed upon tape I9and simultaneously the capacitor 6I discharges through recording heads3I and 32 providing a positive magnetic indication laterally adjacentthe impression of the numeral 1 as shown in Fig. 8. Since the recordingheads 3l and 32 have Wide faces, indications are provided oversubstantially large areas. The continued rotation of the cam 24 allowsthe tape I9 to descend and the capacitor 6I to discharge. Theservomechanisrn apparatus steps the tape I9 and rotates or positions theprinting wheel I and commutator IE corresponding to the number ornumeral '7. The sequence of operations repeats for the numeral 7 andthis time both capacitors 6I and 31 charge; capacitor 6I throughrecording head 33 and capacitor 61 through recording head 3l. In thismanner an electromagnetic record is produced at the same time that aprinted record is produced.

The use of the three recording heads 3I,`32 and 33 arranged laterallyacross the tape or ticket I9 makes it possible to scan the tape I9longitudinally and thus avoid alignment errors due to variations in thedistances from the ends of the tape I9 to individual rows of theindications. The use of the three electromagnetic recording heads whichare energized when the press 22 operates avoids the possibility offalsely marking the magnetic coating of tape I9 as the result of toolittle spacing between the tape i9 and the recording heads 3l, 32 and 33when the tape I9 is raised for registration.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a singlemodication, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the devicesillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetic device for recording numerals comprising a printing wheel;a commutator .rotatabie with said printing Wheel; a pair of transfercontacts; a plurality of recording heads controlled by said commutatorand said pair of transfer contacts; a magnetic tape; means forpositioning said printing wheel and commutator corresponding to aselected numeral; and means for moving said magnetic tape against saidprinting wheel and said plurality of recordingr heads and simultaneouslyactuating said transfer contacts.

2. A recording device comprising a printing wheel; a commutatorrotatable with said printing wheel; three recording heads connected tosaid commutator; a positive and negative source of current; a magnetictape; actuating apparatus for moving said magnetic tape againstsaidprinting Wheel and said three recording heads and for simultaneouslyconnecting said source of positive and negative current to saidcommutator.

3. Agmagnetic recording device comprising an actuating member having arst, second and a third arm, a cam adjacent said lrst army.' therotation thereof causing said actuating member 6 l to oscillate; amagnetic tape adjacent said second arm of said actuating member andmovable thereby; a pair of transfer contacts adjacent said third arm ofsaid actuating member and operable thereby; a source of currentconnected to said transfer contacts; a printing wheel having typecharacters thereon positioned adjacent said magnetic tape; a commutator;and three recording heads positioned adjacent said magnetic tape, theoscillation of said actuating member causing said magnetic tape to berepeatedly brought against said printing wheel and said three recordingheads as the operation of said transfer contacts causes the energizationof said recording heads by connecting said source thereto through saidcommutator.

4. A recording device comprising an actuating member having a first,second and a third arm; a cam adjacent said first arm, the rotationthereof causing said actuating member to oscillate; a magnetic tapeadjacent said second arm of said actuating member and movable thereby; apair of transfer contacts adjacent said third arm of said actuatingmember and operable thereby; a source of current connected to saidtransfer contacts; a printing Wheel having type characters thereonpositioned adjacent said magnetic tape; three recording heads positionedadjacent said magnetic tape; and a commutator rotatable with saidprinting wheel electrically connecting said transfer contacts to two ofsaid three recording heads.

5. A recording device comprising an actuating member having a rst,second and a third arm; a cam adjacent said first arm, the rotationthereof causing said actuating member to oscillate; a magnetic tapeadjacent said second arm of said actuating member and movable thereby; apair of transfer contacts adjacent said third arm of said actuatingmember and operable thereby; a source of current connected to saidtransfer contacts; a printing wheel having type characters thereonpositioned adjacent said magnetic tape; three recording heads positionedadjacent said magnetic tape; and a commutator rotatable with saidprinting wheel electrically connecting said transfer contacts to two ofsaid three recording heads, the oscillation of said actuating membermoving said magnetic tape repeatedly against said printing wheel andsaid three recording heads and actuating said transfer contacts causingthe energization of two ofsaid three recording heads by connecting saidsource to said commutator.

6. A polar code electromagnetic recording device comprising a source ofpositive and negative pulses; a rotatable commutator having a positiveand a negative Wheel; a pair of transfer contacts connecting saidpositive wheel to said positive source and said negative Wheel to saidnegative source; and three magnetic recording heads connected to saidpositive and to said negative wheels, the rotation of said commutatorchanging the connections from said transfer contacts to said threerecording heads providing a two-outof-three polar energization thereby.

'7. A polar code electromagnetic recording device comprising a source ofpositive and negative pulses; a rotatable commutator having a positiveand a negative Wheel; a pair of transfer contacts connecting saidpositive wheel to said positive source and said negative wheel to saidnegative source; a magnetic tape; three magnetic recording headsconnected to said ipositive and to said negative wheels; and means formoving said masneticntepageinswsaid :aneccxndingeheadsi and animatingsaidi'fitransfenrxoniaaetsa-the zrotation of saidncommutatormhangmgqtheiconnections. from said-transfercontaotssito -asaidy-ithneef recordingheads:proyidingya'finwooutsoffthneefpolan ener gizaitionf4therebyi,or1.'saidf :magnetici etape.H

positive wheei .minneetribleywiiahzsaidl positive pulse saidxnegative@Ypuise: 'sourcerf afmagnetic -tape three magnetwecordinggheadsconnectedto said positiveendete;isaidmegativefwheeis@and means,

fommowingfsaid*magnetioftape and. for @ennesi-` ing said positive andnegativefpuiseesourees,-,re-

ferentr/Kcondnctiveepeths-irompsaidpositivefandfnegati-vezmulsemsources-; toifsziid` threes` magneticApolar magneiesindication iuponiesaid magnetic tape. BENJAMIN-F. LEWIS;

References- Citedinthe,.1'e oi. this ,patent Lane` i Ju1y--24-1951

